Best Management Practices for Maryland Golf Courses

Table 4. Recommended Minimum Golf Course Mowing Heights, by Area (in inches)

Greens Tournament Play

Greens Healthy Maintenance

Tees, Collars, Approaches

Turf Species

Fairways

Creeping bentgrass

0.125

0.090

0.250

0.350

Hybrid bermudagrass Common bermudagrass Zoysiagrass

0.125

0.100

0.375

0.375

-

-

0.500

0.500

- -

- -

0.400 0.375

0.500 0.375

Perennial ryegrass

Kentucky bluegrass

-

-

0.500

0.625

Table 5. Recommended Mowing Heights for Roughs (in inches)*

Kentucky bluegrass

Perennial ryegrass

Tall fescue

Fine fescues

Bermudagrass

1.0 - 6.0

1.0 - 6.0

2.0 - 6.0

2.5 - 6.0

0.75 - 2.5

* For intermediate, primary, and secondary roughs. Intermediate rough cuts are defined as a narrow (<10 feet) step-up cut immediately adjacent to the fairway. HOC for intermediate roughs is usually in the lower part of the specified ranges, typically 1.0 - 1.75 inches.

Mowing height can also be varied seasonally to improve turf responses to changes in weather and available sunlight such as during spring greenup, summer stress tolerance, and cold hardening. For example, in the early spring warm season, grasses have a more prostrate growth habit and can be mowed closer without negatively affecting overall plant health. At this time of year, close mowing can control thatch, increase turf density, remove dead leaf tissue, and promote earlier greenup. In the summer, by contrast, a higher cut helps moderate stress through a variety of means such as insulating the crown from heat stress, reducing weed completion, and reducing water needs. In shaded areas, shoots elongate to capture sunlight, resulting in a weakened root system. Therefore, the HOC should be raised to increase photosynthetic area and improve carbohydrate availability. Mowing stress can also be reduced by minimizing turning in these areas. In addition, a plant growth regulator (PGR) can be used as a regular management tool to control growth in shaded environments.

Best Management Practices

• Tall grass should be mowed frequently and height gradually decreased until desired HOC is achieved. • In shaded environments, HOC should be increased by at least 30% to improve the health of turf. • Consider using a PGR as a regular management tool to improve overall turf health for grasses growing in shaded environments.

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